The Mind of Babington

be-ne-fail / be-ne-fail-ure

to experience failure in a way that causes one to grow and learn from the experience; to fail forward; to fail beneficially

I believe that all obstacles in life can and should be seen as lessons from which one can learn and grow into a stronger and wiser individual. This idea mainly came to mind due to my hobby of reading and studying Stoic philosophy, particularly from the Greek and Roman philosophers Seneca and Marcus Aurelius. I also remember watching an inspirational video on YouTube in which Will Smith spoke about "failing forward," which represents the same idea. I believe this idea is important for everyone to embrace because this not only allows us to grow from our mistakes, but it can also help to prevent situations in which people are afraid to take action due to an unnecessary fear of failure. If society were able to slowly remove the negative connotation of the word failure and instead realize that it is a necessary path to growth and achievement, I think this would improve the quality of many people's lives.

Inspirational Will Smith Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeB-AkTH8YQ

I specifically added the Latin prefix "bene" which means "well, in the right way, honorably, properly," to remove or lessen the negative context associated with failure.

When I used this word in conversations, everyone initially asked what it was and what it meant, so I explained it similarly to how I explained it in the paragraph above. Since I work full time, my daily schedule is to go to work, then go back home and relax or do school work, so I only got to use the word with a couple of my roommates and my coworkers. I know my coworkers found the idea and the word interesting when I mentioned it, but there honestly isn't much conversation going on where I work, so it's kind of difficult to determine whether or not they would continue to use the word on their own, but I remember my roommates actually using the word a few times recently.

Thanks for reading!

1.  To keep up with the work for this class I've made it a habit to check my Canvas on a regular basis, usually daily just to make sure there are no assignments I am forgetting about. As a backup I also use an app called Wunderlist, with which you can create various lists with due dates, notes, etc. I input all of my assignments into separate lists for each of my classes and check them off as I complete them. It's also helpful to set up notification reminders when an assignment due date is coming up.

2.  I definitely got a bit discouraged when it comes to the interview assignments. There are several reasons for this, including my limited personal network in my area which makes it difficult to find people to interview as well as my limited schedule since I'm working full time and taking classes full time. I primarily chose online classes because of my schedule restrictions so that I could do my work on my own time, but when it comes to finding people to interview, that's very hard to do in my situation, but I'll continue to persevere and do my best anyway since I need to pass the class.

3.  Here are 3 tips I'd give to students looking to take this class:

• Create a realistic schedule and use notification tools to remind you when assignments are coming up.
• If you ever find yourself bored or having nothing to do, then work ahead.
• Think about the consequences of your actions, or more commonly, your inaction. Yes it is a pain to do some assignments, but just think about how much more of a pain it will be if you have to take the class all over again. 

1. Who am I?

I would say my best talent is my ability to learn things quickly and appreciate a wide variety of subjects. I also enjoy taking the principles I learn from one subject and using them to enhance my understanding of another seemingly unrelated subject. The business I would like to create is a 3-D Print Cafe, which would basically be a more artistic, design and engineering-focused version of Kinkos where people can come to use our printers to print out 3-D designs/models they created themselves, templates they found online, or our own custom-designed models and templates. This type of business would allow me to further explore my interest in design and engineering while following my entrepreneurial spirit.

2. The Unmet Needs:

This will solve the needs of customers who are interested in design and engineering, especially as it relates to creating 3-D models of tools, fashion accessories, prosthetics, decor, and much more. The amount of objects that can be created through the use of 3-D printing is limitless. Having a print cafe for this purpose will give these people access to professional level equipment without the need to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars. I also would like to create an environment that promotes learning in the areas related to 3-D printing, particularly design and engineering, so I would like to have many books, magazines and other forms of resources related to these topics to stimulate those people's creativity and learning. I am also envisioning it as an actual cafe where people can get coffee and snacks and stay there all day studying and designing.

3. The Demographic:

The main demographic for this type of place would be people of any age who are interested in engineering and 3-D design. One specific segment of this market that I would target would be engineering and design students, therefore I would advertise in the design and engineering buildings of local colleges and universities as well as the related clubs and organizations of those institutions. I would also try to speak with the professors in these fields, if possible, to explain the vision I have in mind for the cafe. If the professors like the idea, then perhaps they will recommend the cafe to their students as a study spot/group project location, etc. A location in the UCF area would be perfect because UCF is already the larges school in the nation, plus there are several community and state colleges in the area including Valencia, Seminole State, Full Sail, etc.

4. The Value:

This establishment would be valuable to customers because they will have access to professional level equipment that can cost thousands of dollars, but they can simply use it on a pay-per-use basis. Besides the equipment, the environment will be beneficial as well because it will help stimulate the learning process for people studying design or engineering. This learning environment would be accomplished by having relevant books and magazines that the customers can freely read. We would also have computers set up that would not only have the relevant software programs but would also have an extensive list of bookmarks containing online resources that can be used to learn design and engineering skills as well as free templates with which the customers can create their own models. Here's one link referencing 30 different sites with free 3-D templates:

https://all3dp.com/best-sites-free-stl-files-3d-printing/

5. What Separates Us?

Our core competencies would be knowledge related to engineering and 3-D design. It will also be differentiated largely by the environment of the cafe as well as the top-notch equipment. Regarding the environment, since it will be a cafe that is focused on design and engineering specifically, this will obviously attract people with similar interests and goals, therefore these people are much more likely to work together spontaneously or purposefully, creating the synergistic effect that most often results from cooperating with others towards a common goal. This is contrasted with the typical cafe where people go to study or do work but hardly ever spontaneously commingle.

I believe these five elements work together very well and each of them builds off of the others. I've been fascinated with the idea of 3-D printing since it first came out, and I am sure that people interested in design and engineering will find it interesting and useful as well. I believe the combination of professional resources and my ability to promote a learning environment will be very beneficial to customers. The areas in which the business would make its profit would be through the pay-per-use aspect of the various equipment, the sales of typical cafe food and beverages, and the hourly renting of our computers that already have the necessary software installed such as CAD design, etc. As with all businesses, the location would be a crucial factor in determining the success of the business.